Latch release for surgical instrument

Abstract

A medical instrument comprises an instrument control surface configured to mate with an instrument sterile adapter to receive input drive forces through the sterile adapter to control actuation of the surgical instrument, the instrument control surface comprising a first opening defined in the instrument control surface. A latch structure of the instrument comprises a locking surface configured to engage a latch arm in response to the latch arm being received in the opening, wherein in an engaged state of the latch arm with the locking surface the medical instrument is attached to the instrument sterile adapter and the latch structure prevents movement of the latch arm in a first direction. A latch release is moveable in the engaged state of the latch arm with the locking surface to exert a force causing movement of the latch arm in a second direction to disengage the latch arm from the locking surface.

1 . A medical instrument comprising:
 an instrument control surface configured to mate with an instrument sterile adapter to receive input drive forces through the instrument sterile adapter to control actuation of the medical instrument, the instrument control surface comprising a first opening and a second opening defined in the instrument control surface;   a first locking surface configured to engage a first arm of an instrument sterile adapter in response to the first arm being received in the first opening; and   a second locking surface configured to engage a second arm of an instrument sterile adapter in response to the second arm being received in the second opening,   wherein, in an engaged state of the first locking surface with the first arm and the second locking surface with the second arm, the medical instrument is attached to the instrument sterile adapter and the first locking surface and the second locking surface are arranged to prevent movement of the first arm and the second arm towards each other;   
     
     
         2 . The medical instrument of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first and second locking surfaces are configured to, in the engaged state with the first and second arms, prevent movement of the first arm and the second arm towards each other by the first locking surface blocking the first arm and the second locking surface blocking the second arm.   
     
     
         3 . The medical instrument of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first and second locking surfaces comprise first and second sloped lead-in portions, respectively, which are configured to guide the first and second arms through the first and second openings, respectively.   
     
     
         4 . The medical instrument of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 first and second release buttons that are, in the attached state of the medical instrument to the instrument sterile adapter, moveable towards each other to release the medical instrument from the instrument sterile adapter.   
     
     
         5 . The medical instrument of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first and second locking surfaces are configured to, in a state of the instrument sterile adapter attached to an instrument carriage and the medical instrument attached to the instrument sterile adapter, prevent detachment of the instrument sterile adapter from the instrument carriage by preventing movement of the first arm and the second arm towards each other.   
     
     
         6 . A medical system comprising:
 an instrument carriage;   an instrument sterile adapter removably attachable to the instrument carriage; and   the medical instrument of  claim 1  removably attachable to the instrument sterile adapter;   wherein the instrument sterile adapter comprises a first latch and a second latch, the first latch comprises a first latching portion and the first arm coupled to the first latching portion, and the second latch comprises a second latching portion and the second arm coupled to the second latching portion, and   wherein the first and second latching portions are configured to engage locking surfaces in the instrument carriage to attach the instrument sterile adapter to the instrument carriage.   
     
     
         7 . The medical system of  claim 6   wherein, in an attached state of the instrument sterile adapter to the instrument carriage, the first arm and the second arm are movable towards one another to disengage the first and second latching portions from the carriage locking surfaces to detach the instrument sterile adapter from the instrument carriage.   
     
     
         8 . The medical system of  claim 7 ,
 wherein the first and second locking surfaces are configured to, in a state of the instrument sterile adapter attached to the instrument carriage and the medical instrument attached to the instrument sterile adapter, prevent detachment of the instrument sterile adapter from the instrument carriage by preventing movement of the first arm and the second arm towards each other.   
     
     
         9 . The medical system of  claim 7 ,
 wherein the first and second arms are coupled to an elastically deformable member such that motion of the first and second arms towards one another causes elastic deformation of the elastically deformable member.   
     
     
         10 . A medical instrument comprising:
 an instrument control surface configured to mate with an instrument sterile adapter to receive input drive forces through the instrument sterile adapter to control actuation of the medical instrument, the instrument control surface comprising a first opening and a second opening defined in the instrument control surface;   a first locking structure; and   a second locking structure,   wherein in an attached state of the medical instrument to the instrument sterile adapter, a first arm of the instrument sterile adapter is received through the first opening, a second arm of the instrument sterile adapter is received through the second opening, the first locking structure blocks motion of the first arm in a first direction, and the second locking structure blocks motion of the second arm in a second direction opposite the first direction.   
     
     
         11 . The medical instrument of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a first release button movable in the first direction; and   a second release button movable in the second direction;   wherein the first and second release button are configured to, in the attached state of the medical instrument to the instrument sterile adapter, in response to being moved in the first and second directions, respectively, release the medical instrument from the instrument sterile adapter.   
     
     
         12 . The medical instrument of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the first and second locking structures are configured to, in a state of the instrument sterile adapter attached to an instrument carriage and the medical instrument attached to the instrument sterile adapter, prevent the instrument sterile adapter from being detached from the instrument carriage by blocking motion of the first and second arms in the first and second directions, respectively.   
     
     
         13 . The medical instrument of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of:
 the first direction and the second direction are transverse to a direction of extent of the first and second arms in the attached state of the medical instrument to the instrument sterile adapter,   the first direction and the second direction are parallel to the instrument control surface,   the first direction is towards the second arm and the second direction is towards the first arm, or   the first direction is away from the second arm and the second direction is away from the first arm.   
     
     
         14 . A medical system comprising:
 an instrument carriage;   an instrument sterile adapter removably attachable to the instrument carriage; and the medical instrument of  claim 10  removably attachable to the instrument sterile adapter;   wherein the instrument sterile adapter comprises a first latch and a second latch, the first latch comprises a first latching portion and the first arm coupled to the first latching portion, and the second latch comprises a second latching portion and the second arm coupled to the second latching portion, and   wherein the first and second latching portions are configured to engage locking surfaces in the instrument carriage to attach the instrument sterile adapter to the instrument carriage.   
     
     
         15 . The medical system of  claim 14 ,
 wherein, in an attached state of the instrument sterile adapter to the instrument carriage, the first arm and the second arm are movable towards one another to disengage the first and second latching portions from the carriage locking surfaces to detach the instrument sterile adapter from the instrument carriage.   
     
     
         16 . The medical system of  claim 15 ,
 wherein the first and second locking structures are configured to, in a state of the instrument sterile adapter attached to the instrument carriage and the medical instrument attached to the instrument sterile adapter, prevent detachment of the instrument sterile adapter from the instrument carriage by preventing movement of the first arm and the second arm towards each other.   
     
     
         17 . The medical system of  claim 14 ,
 wherein the first and second arms are coupled to an elastically deformable member such that motion of the first and second arms towards one another causes elastic deformation of the elastically deformable member.   
     
     
         18 . An instrument sterile adapter for interfacing between an instrument carriage and a medical instrument, the instrument sterile adapter comprising:
 a base comprising a first surface configured to engage with a carriage control surface of the instrument carriage and a second surface configured to engage with an instrument control surface of the medical instrument; and   a first latch and a second latch coupled to the base, the first latch comprising a first latching portion and a first arm coupled to the first latch portion, and the second latch comprising a second latching portion and a second arm coupled to the second latch portion,   wherein the first and second latching portions protrude below the first surface and are configured to engage with carriage locking surfaces of the instrument carriage to attach the instrument sterile adapter to the instrument carriage,   wherein the first and second arms protrude above the second surface and are configured to be received in first and second openings in the instrument control surface of the medical instrument, and   wherein the first and second arms are movable towards and away from one another to cause movement of the first and second latching portions.   
     
     
         19 . The instrument sterile adapter of  claim 18 ,
 wherein the first and second arms are, in an attached state of the instrument sterile adapter to the instrument carriage, movable towards one another to cause the first and second latching portions to disengage from the carriage locking surfaces to release the instrument sterile adapter from the instrument carriage.   
     
     
         20 . The instrument sterile adapter of  claim 18 ,
 wherein the first and second arms are coupled to an elastically deformable member such that motion of the first and second arms causes elastic deformation of the elastically deformable member.